About 500 to swim the bay in 36th annual Save the Bay event Saturday

Posted
Thursday, July 26, 2012 1:00 pm

Nearly 500 swimmers from across the country, joined by some 200 kayakers, will take part in the 1.7-mile trek across the Bay from Newport to Jamestown this Saturday in the Save The Bay 36th Annual Bay Swim. Additional swimmers will participate remotely, swimming in open waters or pools as far away as Rome, Italy.

Sponsored by Citizens Bank, swim registration starts at 6 a.m. at Coaster’s Harbor Island Beach, Naval Station Newport. From there, swimmers cross the bay north of the Pell Bridge to complete the swim at Potter’s Cove in Jamestown. The public is encouraged to join swimmers, volunteers, and Save The Bay staff at the completion party immediately following the Swim. The party will take place across the street from the finish line at Potter’s Cove on the lawn of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

Save The Bay’s Annual Bay Swim is a Rhode Island staple and the largest open-water swim in the Northeast region. It brings together some 2,000 people, ranging in age from 15 to 83, to raise awareness around the continued need to protect and restore Narragansett Bay. All proceeds from the event directly benefit Save The Bay programs.